Pilots transport millions of people and tons of cargo across the world
every year. They receive a high level of training so that people can rest
assured that their lives and property are in safe hands.
The most common image of a pilot is that of a commercial airline pilot,
but there are many other types of pilots.
There are cargo pilots, who fly goods from one destination to another.
The cargo can be anything from fresh seafood to mail, to supplies for underdeveloped
countries.
There are also agricultural pilots. They fly planes that spray crops with
pesticides and fertilizers. These pilots not only have to know how to fly
a plane, they also have to know a lot about farming.
Don't forget about helicopter pilots. These pilots play important roles
in the military as well as in the private sector.
There are also pilots who fly small float planes or single-engine planes.
They fly in remote areas, where roads are bad or where there are no roads.
Commercial pilots can carry passengers or goods. Commercial airline pilots
work for major commercial airlines. It takes additional hours of flight training
and additional certification to work as an airline pilot.
Chris Siderwicz offers a good example of the diverse opportunities you
can find as a pilot.
"My father flew in the airlines, and now I manage the airport out here.
And we do sightseeing tours and I'm also a licensed [airplane] mechanic,"
says Siderwicz. "I've flown for a company down in Florida doing banner towing
for a while, so that way I could start my own banner-towing company up here
[in Massachusetts]."
Besides banner towing (pulling signs across the sky), Siderwicz provides
tours in open cockpit biplanes. As an experienced aerobatic pilot, Siderwicz
can give extra thrills to those with strong nerves (and stomachs!).
Becoming a pilot takes training, many hours of practice in the air, and
yes, lots of money. Flying lessons can easily cost more than $100 per hour.
Flying can be learned either in the military or in civilian flying schools.
"Every flight school usually has what they call introductory flights. And
you can go in and the instructor will kind of explain all the things that
they might not have known, and then go out and show them some of it," says
Russell Yuen. He's a flight instructor.
"Some people decide that it's not for them, and a lot of people decide
that it is for them. But involving yourself in it is the most important part."
The military has long been the preferred recruiting ground for the major
airlines. That's according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"People in aviation work different hours," says Yuen. "Think about it --
airports are open every day of the year. With a pilot, it is exactly the same.
"Unstable hours and away from home is part of the job," Yuen says. "During
holidays, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, pilots usually make plans with
family to have dinner or a celebration before or after their trip. Also, flying
schedules can be a bit unpredictable sometimes -- usually we don't make any
long-term plans with friends or family."
Some people learn to fly just for fun, doing it as a hobby. But for others,
it's a rewarding, lifelong career.
"It's the ones that don't want to sit in an office," says pilot and aviation
instructor Melanie Abel. "They want to be out and about. They're the ones
that choose it as a profession.
"Those that choose it for fun maybe don't want to carry a lot of passengers
and don't want to deal with that aspect -- they just like doing it for fun,"
Abel adds.
The commercial aviation industry in the U.S. is responsible for $1.2 trillion
(US) in annual economic activity and 11 million jobs. This is according to
Airlines for America.